


Time Ticks Away

by centeast



Category: Hamilton - Miranda (Broadway Cast) RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-09 06:33:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11098896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/centeast/pseuds/centeast
Summary: All Lin could do was watch as she healed and as time ticked away.





	Time Ticks Away

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: Hey All! Sorry for the delay on this new story. This was meant as the beginning of part five of Finding You. However nothing worked well. I started something completely different. I hope you all enjoy it!
> 
> Warning: Some cursing.
> 
> Fact: I know nothing of the medical field. I am just going off of what I know from TV medical dramas! OK not all: some of it is acquired knowledge.
> 
> Requests are open! 
> 
> Please let me know what you think! :)
> 
> Word Count: 4234 (wow....)

The white tiled walls seemed to go on forever. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed since he entered, but all he wanted to know about was if his wife was going to be all right. All he knew was that Sarah had called and left a voicemail on his phone of her sobbing the only words that he could make out were “Y/N….hospital…and don’t know….”

If it were anyone else crying in a voicemail, he would not have worried so much. However, it was rare hear Sarah emotional, so needless to say his was scared of his wits right about now. She had no details to give him. All he could think was that he would be walking into his wife’s body to say good bye. He didn’t realize he had been running until he literally ran into her best friend.

“Oh…Sarah! I’m so sorry! Is there any news?” Lin found himself pleading for information that she may not have known. 

“They rushed straight to the ER as soon as we got here,” Sarah began, wincing as she moved ever so slightly. “I heard yelling and alarms as they cast my arm and gave me stitches, but they could have been…”

“Sarah, breathe,” Lin whispered, quietly comforting the trembling woman in front of him. “Did they tell you anything?”

“No, they said, since I’m not family they can’t tell me anything. What if those alarms were for her? What if…” Sarah began but was quickly enveloped in a hug by Lin. He wasn’t sure if he was comforting her or himself. He just knew that they both needed to be grounded somehow. He wasn’t sure how long they stood like that until they heard someone clearing their throat.

“Excuse me, are you Mr. Miranda? Y/N Miranda’s husband?” A petite young woman, who identified herself as Elise Vallejo asked. For all Lin knew this young woman, who didn’t even look young enough to be in college, let alone a doctor, could change his life with just a few words. As he turned around he couldn’t help but jump to worst case scenario. He couldn’t bring himself to ask anything and by the looks of it neither could Sarah. 

“Mr. Miranda, your wife is currently in serious condition. Her injuries look like she was trying to protect someone,” he heard Dr. Vallejo explain. Without a second thought, he put his arm over Sarah’s shoulders as she tearfully whispered only loud enough for the two of them to hear. “She is currently still unconscious, and in saying that, we are not sure when she will wake up –“ 

“Will she wake up?” Lin asked before he could stop himself. He had to know, at least know that there was a sliver of hope. 

“I don’t want to say yes and I don’t want to say no. I don’t want to give you false hope. I want to give you a chance to see her and talk to her. Maybe you can bring her back. In short, I am cautiously optimistic,” the young doctor explained. 

Lin found himself letting out a small breath of relief he didn’t know he was holding. “Are there any other injuries or anything that…that..” he couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence without his voice breaking.

“We did find some internal bleeding that we were able to repair. It was due to the impact of the vehicle against your wife. She also has a fractured right wrist and lower arm from shielding herself. Her left ankle and leg are fractured, we were able to cast them both. She wasn’t breathing on her own when we finished the surgery so we had to intubate her to make sure that she was getting enough oxygen. Now I want to warn you that the room looks a little scary right now, but we are doing all that we can for your wife,” the doctor had finished explaining. “Would you like to see her?" 

After taking it all Lin could do was nod his head yes. He knew he needed to call their family and friends, but right now he needed to see his wife. 

As they made their way to the room, he found himself offering a prayer to whomever would listen. He had never been very religious and neither had his wife, but he knew he needed to have as many deities as possible on his side right now.  
_______________

Each step seemed to be weighted down more than the previous. It seemed the hallway was never ending. After what seemed to be hours, when in reality, it was only a few minutes, the two of them stopped in front of unassuming door. 

“Now, Mr. – “Elise started but was quickly interrupted by Lin.

“Call me Lin, please,” he whispered, as if he was afraid if he spoke any louder, it would throw off the whole balance of everything. 

“Alright, Lin, I want to warn you that what you will see in this room may scare you just a bit. It is all to help your wife. If there is anything that could conflict with her treatment, please let us know now. The tube will come out when we are sure that she is breathing on her own. We will treat the injuries when we are better equipped to help her. We were able to patch up and fix her internal injuries. I will be completely honest, that we did lose her on the table a couple of times, it was only for a couple of minutes each time, we won’t know if there is any brain damage until she wakes however, but as I stated before, I am cautiously optimistic. Do you have any questions?” Doctor Vallejo finally finished. She noticed a distant look in the young gentleman’s eyes. She had seen men react a myriad of ways to the news that she had just delivered, and yet her heart seemed to go out to this man even more for some reason. She had seen people begin to distance themselves from their family member when they needed them most. 

“Can I see her…please?” Lin whispered as his voice broke. He wasn’t sure what to expect. All he knows is that he needs to see his wife, to reassure himself that she is okay. That she was ‘still among the living’ as she used to…He couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought.

“Of course.”

As he is guided to through the open door, he releases a breath he doesn’t realize he was holding. He takes in her appearance, casted wrist, black eye, busted lip, breathing tube, splinted leg. All because she put herself between her best friend and a car. He knows he is never going to get an answer he is going to be happy with. He will never ask why or anything. 

“Is there anyone I can contact for you? I know you are going to want additional time with your wife. If you give me the number I can make those contacts for you,” Vallejo offered.  
As he scribbled down the numbers of his mom, dad, and sister as well as her mom and dad, he had one single request. “Could you please send Sarah back when she is done. She needs to be here for her best friend.” We need each other…

“Of course, and I’ll get right on calling those numbers.”

As Lin walked further into the room he took in the person who lay in the bed. All he saw were the wires, IVs and breathing tube that were helping her. He didn’t see the women he fell in love with. He didn’t see the bright smile that she would flash him when he walked in the door. He didn’t see the beautiful Y/E/C that when she truly looked at him he could see into her soul and would show her emotions. He couldn’t hear her contagious laugh that would make anyone in the room smile. He searched for a something to grab onto to show her that he was there. He needed to hold her hand and he needed to give her a light kiss to show just how much he loved her. 

“The best thing for her is to have physical contact and to know you are there,” the young doctor explained. “You aren’t going to hurt her by holding her hand. Hold her hand, talk to her. Let her know you are here. Also, I let the ER know to send Sarah up when she is done with her cast, she can’t stay overnight however. I am going to recommend that you don’t either, but I know that you will want to stay. I will let the night nurse know to bring in a blanket and pillows for you. I could get ahold of your family, your sister will be by tomorrow, but your parents are currently on their way down. Y/N’s parents are on their way as soon as they can get tickets. Sir, it’s alright to cry. I’ll check in with you a little bit later.”

And with that Lin let the tears fall. He gingerly took his wife’s hand in his and laid a delicate kiss on her forehead. 

“I need you here more than you realize, bug. I don’t know if I can navigate any of this crazy thing called life without you. Please, come back to me. I want to see those beautiful eyes of yours. I need to hear your cute laugh. I need you. I love you,” Lin whispered as he delicately brushed her cheek. He knew there was no point in wiping away the tears that were currently falling. All he could do was grasp her hand and pray that she heard his plea.  
__  
“I don’t know what happened. One minute we were talking and the next minute she is pushing me out of the way,” Sarah quietly explained. “I heard screaming and she wasn’t beside me just underneath the car. All she kept saying was ‘make sure he knows I love him, he needs to know I love him.’ All I could do was hold her hand. What if I didn’t do enough? What if – “ Sarah had started to ramble as soon as she stepped in the door and saw her best friend. 

“Hey, hey, Sarah, look at me. You know she would have done it regardless of who it was. You did everything you could. And you were there for her,” Lin comforted. He knew their story well. Sarah and Y/N had been best friends since fifth grade. They had been in each other’s wedding, they had stood up for each other, they had shared secrets that only the two of the them knew. He was never jealous of Sarah because he had grown to adore the girl. He was grateful that she had been there and that his wife hadn’t been alone. “You are more than welcome to stay here tonight or I can help you get home.”

“As much as I would like to stay here until she wakes up, I know that I should probably go home. Don’t worry about helping me home. I’ll get there,” Sarah explained as she started to head home. As she turned to leave, she couldn’t help but think that her best friend really had struck the jackpot with Lin. “Call me if anything changes.”  
\-----------  
Lin must have fallen asleep next to the bed as he found himself slowly opening his eyes to a dim room and a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

“Hey, how are you doing?” his sister questions. On the other side of the bed were his parents resting quietly against each other. “I couldn’t stay behind and make phone calls. I needed to be here for you and Y/N,” she quietly explained. 

“I’m not sure. I mean I’m not even sure how long I have been here. I know nurses and Dr. Vallejo have been in and out, but I just wish that she would wake up. I need her to wake up,” Lin explained as he felt the tear threaten to spill again. He thought he had cried enough already, but every time the question came up he found himself answering it differently but the same. “How long have you guys been here? You should have woken me up.” 

“We knew you needed some sleep and the doctor caught us up on everything. You know it’s alright to cry. If this was my husband in that bed, I’d be a sobbing mess, and I know you or Y/N would be right there comforting me,” his sister comforted as she placed a comforting arm around his shoulders. He didn’t realize how much he had held back until he felt the tears falling. 

His family knew that if there was some way for him to be in that bed instead of his beloved, he would do it in a heartbeat. If there was any way to help her heal faster, he’d sell his soul to do so. If he could take away any type of pain, he would do it without thinking. He let his sister wrap her arms around him even tighter. 

“I have no doubt that she is going to open those bright eyes that captivate everyone, and tell you just how much she loves you. Until she is back with us, we are here and you don’t have to put the wall up that you have so craftily, yet hastily built. She wouldn’t want you to torture yourself because of this. You need to take care of yourself, and that’s what we are here for. We have seen you through thick and thin and will be here. Just let it all go,” Lin heard his sister whisper as he sobbed in her arms. He wasn’t surprised when he felt two more strong pairs of arms wrap around the two of them.  
_________

Minutes ticked to hours and hours into days. Before he knew it, he hadn’t left the room Y/N laid unmoving for over four days. He had called his friends to let them know what was going on. Many of them had offered and stopped by. The endless stream of friends and family kept him company. He hadn’t really had time to process much of anything. As he sat and held her hand for the umpteenth time, he found asking for any kind of divine help. He needed a sign that she was still with him, that Y/N could still hear him.

“I truly don’t know how long I’ve been here. I know there have been so many people through, most of them giving me comfort that all I can do is hum a response. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve cried. I haven’t been at work since I got the call and I haven’t been home to see Tobi either. I hate seeing you hooked up to these machines and wires, but I know they are helping you. I keep hoping that Dr. Vallejo will come in and give me a sliver of good news at least. But I just need to know that you still hear me, I need to know that you are still in there. I love you so much and I don’t know what I would do without you. I can’t wait to see your beautiful smile light up a room. See your bright eyes light up when you are truly happy. Please give some sort of sign…I honestly don’t care what,” Lin found himself pleading with his sleeping wife.

At that moment, he noticed two things, a change in dynamic of the room when someone enters and a slight but ever so present squeeze of his hand. 

After saying a quick thank you to whomever was listening, he turned to see Dr. Elise Vallejo standing just inside the door, a cautious smile laying upon her face.

“Good morning, Lin. I hope I am not interrupting anything. We have been monitoring Y/N’s oxygen levels for the last couple of days. We think we start weaning her off the ventilator and possibly help her wake up,” she quietly explained. 

“Are you sure?” Lin questioned. It wasn’t that he wasn’t ready to hear this news, he was more than ready to take any kind of progress, as it meant his wife would be on her way back to her usual self. Hopefully. “I mean I just don’t want to step backwards in her recovery and…”

“It is completely understandable to be a little cautious, but I wouldn’t be recommending it if I didn’t believe it wasn’t in her best interests,” Dr. Vallejo started. “I do need to warn you of some complications that may occur when we start to wean her off the vent. There is a small chance that her oxygen levels may drop, if this occurs we may have to put her back on. Also we will be seeing how she responds, if we can maybe start weaning her out of the medically induced coma. If this happens, she may have some memory loss, but there is a very small chance of this. Are there any questions so far?”

Lin truly tried to take everything, all he could reply with was a very quiet, “no.” All Lin could do as replay every single milestone they had hit as a couple in his head. Their first meeting where they were both too scared to talk to one another. Their first kiss, that was so awkward that they still joke about it to this day. The first time either of them had admitted how they truly felt for one another. When he knew that this was the women he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, the moment that Y/N had become his wife. He remembers the wedding like it was yesterday, even though it had been over five years ago. The way she only had eyes for him as you walked down the aisle. The way her wedding dress had hugged everything about her and the veil playfully hid, yet highlighted her face. He remembers the tears that played at the corner of his eyes the moment she took his hand and promised him forever. The two of them had a comfortable, peaceful life. She was his rock, he knew he could count on Y/N to give him the honest truth. Yet, she was there when he needed the reassurance that he was making the best choice. It helped that no matter what was going on, he had her to come home to. For the last week and a half, he spent days and nights praying that his wife would come back to them. Everything that had been done so far was a step in the best direction. But why was he so scared? It was the idea that he could lose her at anytime, something that had been at the front of his thoughts during this time, that made him realize he wanted so much more with Y/N. 

“Lin, we have some good news,” Dr. Vallejo explained as she entered the room. She noticed that he was in the same spot as he had been this morning when she had informed him of the new development.  
The doctor was sure that he hadn’t moved as he looked deep in thought. “Excuse me, Lin, are you alright?”

“Dr. Vallejo? Is something wrong? Weren’t you just in here?” Lin found himself questioning sincerely. He had been so lost into his thoughts and memories that he wasn’t quite sure how much time had truly passed. 

“I was in here this morning, and have been studying Y/N’s oxygen levels for a few hours, they are good enough that we can take her off the vent,” Elise cautiously explained. She didn’t want to get his hopes up but at the same time, she could tell that Lin truly need his wife and she was going to everything in her power and expertise to bring her back to him. “You are welcome to stay but if you would like to take a walk, that is fine as well.”

“Can I please stay? I need to be here…” Lin answered quietly. He felt that if he spoke any louder it would upset the balance of everything.

“Of course, but know that it could be awhile before she wakes up. This is a step in the right direction, however.  
____________________

It seemed as though time ticked even slower after the medical team had taken Y/N off the ventilator. They had all kept telling Lin that Y/N would wake up, it would just take sometime. He had never been a patient person, but the fact that his wife was lying still in a bed, well it just made the time tick by even slower. All he truly wanted to her his wife’s voice say his name coherently. In the past two days, Y/N had started to mumble and whisper his name. However she had yet to wake. 

Each person, who had come to visit had been pleased and excited that Y/N was doing better, but he knew they truly weren’t out of the woods. All he could do was nod and explain that they weren’t going to know more until she woke up. He was thankful that when Sarah or Chris or his sister dropped by, it was to ask how he was doing. They also would just sit with him and Y/N. They would never ask him if he needed food, they would bring it to him. They would sit with Y/N if for some reason Lin had to step out, whether it was to talk to the doctor or nurse. No questions were ever asked. 

It was a dreary New York day just like the many others that it happened. Lin had only gone home a number of times in the nearly two and a half weeks that his wife lay in a hospital bed. As he made his way back towards the room he noticed something different about the atmosphere. The doctor had ordered she be taken off the vent nearly three days ago. His sister had promised to sit with her and inform him of any change. He had received a text from Luz, just as he was stepping out of the cab, that said that Dr. Vallejo said Y/N was showing signs of finally waking up. As he rounded the corner he found the doctor who had been there the entire time. Dr. Elise Vallejo. 

Go on in,” was all the doctor has said.

As he entered he saw Luz sitting on the left side of the bed, trying her best to contain herself and yet try to coax Y/N to wake. 

“She keeps saying your name. She hasn’t completely woken up yet, but I think that she is nearly there. It started about 45 minutes ago, but I wasn’t sure what exactly was happening. Here take over, I’m gonna go call a few people. If she wakes up while I’m gone, let her know we all love her, okay?!” She hastily explained as she hugged him.  
He wasn’t quite sure what to expect or how long it would take. So he sat down in the spot his sister had just vacated and kept his left hand against her head and his right hand clasped around her left hand running his thumb over her knuckles. 

“Come on bug. I’m right here. I want...I need to see those beautiful eyes of yours. If you can hear me please just give me some sort of sign. A flutter of your eyes, a whisper of my name, a squeeze of my hand. Anything, something,” he kept repeating in some fashion. After what seemed like forever, but was in reality mere minutes, he heard and saw something he never thought he’d hear or see again. Her voice. And those striking eyes looking back at him. Clear and beautiful as before.

“Lin…” Y/N whispered only loud enough for him to hear.

“Hey bug,” he greeted with her nickname he had coined years ago. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay. Is Sarah alright?”

All Lin could do was laugh. Here Y/N was in a hospital recovering and all she could think of was if her best friend was alright.

“Yeah she’s fine. A few cuts and a broken arm, but nothing horrible. You, on the other hand scared me,” Lin explained near tears. The tears weren’t out of sadness, no they were purely tears of joy. The fact that he was able to explain to his wife just how scared he was of losing her…

“You didn’t need to be. I was going to come back to you either way. It was either this way or to haunt you,” Y/N smiled jokingly. “I also knew you needed me, just like I need you. So you are kind stuck with me.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Lin whispered as he laid a sweet yet light kiss upon her lips. 

All he could do was send a thank you to whatever deities had helped bring his wife back to him.


End file.
